Welcome to the website of Greens NSW MP John Kaye

Power need forecasts kick hole in case for sell-off and new stations

jharwood — 2010-09-01T02:27:46Z

Dr Kaye said: "While the Keneally government blunders ahead with electricity privatisation in order to build new baseload generators, the latest forecast from the body in charge of the national grid shows that the state will be well provided with supply capacity for the foreseeable future.

"For the third year running, the forecast pushes the date of shortages of supply off by another 12 months.

"The Keneally government is clinging to the Owen Inquiry report which has now been thoroughly discredited.

"Based on the 2007 forecast of relatively small shortages by 2013-14, Professor Owen erroneously argued the lights would go out without new baseload power stations which could not be built without selling the generators and retailers to the private sector.

"The last three years of forecasts show that the shortage continues to recede into the future.

"The Market Operator is predicting that the existing generators will handle demand until 2016-17.

"Energy management and efficiency programs can cost effectively keep the lights after that date.

"Treasurer Eric Roozendaal is wedded to the power sell-off scheme despite the justification being cut to pieces.

"It is time the NSW government faced reality and abandoned plans for the new baseload power stations and its electricity privatisation scheme.

"If they continue down this path, power bills will rise even further and the state will be unable to rein in its greenhouse gas emissions," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

NSW Labor should get out of the way of pokies reform

jharwood — 2010-08-31T05:32:56Z

Dr Kaye said: "Independent Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie's proposal for a $1 cap on bets would go a long way to stemming the flood of personal and family ruin caused poker machines.

"Standing in the way of the reform process will help the clubs lobby frustrate this important protection for problem gamblers and their dependents.

"Gaming and Racing Minister Kevin Greene has become the industry mouthpiece.

"The NSW government is handing over some of the state's most vulnerable individuals to the greed of the gaming industry.

"It is time for them to get out of the way and allow genuine reform that would stem the rivers of tears.

"The Greens in NSW will be joining with their Tasmanian colleagues and introducing state legislation to cap poker machine bets to $1," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Ad cuts put health gains at risk

jfield — 2010-08-27T00:59:55Z

Greens NSW MP and Health Services spokesperson John Kaye said: "NSW's track record in reducing rates of smoking is being squandered on a senseless budget cut.

"By insisting on reducing all advertising expenditure by 25 percent, NSW Treasurer Eric Roozendaal is condemning young people to an increased likelihood of taking up or continuing smoking.

"The human consequences are appalling.

"Tobacco smoking causes more than 5,000 deaths and 42,000 hospitalisations each year in NSW and remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in Australia.

"Even from Treasury's narrow financial world view, this makes no sense.

"The long term economic benefits of reduced smoking rates would pay many times over for the cost of the advertisements.

"In May this year, the state's chief health officer released a study showing that the most recent estimate of the social costs attributable to tobacco in NSW is $6.6 billion annually.

"The 5.1 percent cut to smoking rates achieved so far have cut the total socauil costs by more than $300 million each year.

"In economic terms alone, the advertising campaign pays for itself many hundreds many times over within a year.

"By slashing the frequency of the ads by 37 percent, Treasurer Roozendaal is reducing exposure to the highly effective campaign material.

"More young people will take up smoking and fewer addicts will quit.

"The Treasurer should apply the same exemption to the anti-smoking ads that has been given to Sydney water and Energy Australia," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Newspoll points to troubled times for NSW

jfield — 2010-08-26T05:19:28Z

Read The Australia article: 'Newspoll confirms Keneally's gloss gone', The Australian, 25 August, )

Dr Kaye said: "If today's opinion poll is translated into Upper House votes, it is likely that the Coalition will end up with 18 seats, the conservative crossbench with 5 members, the Greens with 5 and the ALP will be reduced to 14 members.

"On these figures the Coalition will be able to control the Legislative Council with the support of the rightwing crossbench members.

"This could have appalling consequences for the environment and civil rights, with a woman's right to choose an abortion, the future of marine national parks and gun laws all on the line.

"Just as Labor has done for the past three and a half years, the O'Farrell Coalition will attempt to do deals with the Shooters and Christian Democrats to pass their legislation and block motions that impel government departments to release documents.

"The Greens will be calling on voters to use their Legislative Council vote to make sure that the government is subjected to the checks and balances of an independent house of review.

"The community wants to take a baseball bat to Labor at the ballot box.

"However, handing over the NSW Upper House to a Coalition government that is beholden to the Shooters and Christian Democrats will do nothing to fix the state's problems.

"The March 2011 election also gives the Greens our best chance of breaking through into the Lower House, with Balmain and Marrickville looking very promising," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

O'Farrell should join Greens, govt to vote against Burqa ban bill

jfield — 2010-08-26T05:15:10Z

Dr Kaye said: "While the Greens and the ALP have made it clear that they reject Fred Nile's legislation, Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell is sitting on the fence.

"Mr O'Farrell has left the heavy lifting to others, hoping to slide into government without ruffling feathers on either side of this debate.

"Fred Nile's Bill bans public face covering 'without a lawful excuse'.

"It is a thinly disguised attack on the Moslem community.

"Barry O'Farrell needs to call it for what it is and stop pandering to the fear vote.

"The overwhelming majority of the Muslim community rejects the burqa. Many share the Greens' concerns that women are coerced into wearing the restrictive dress.

"Nile's bill will make the situation of these women even worse and will isolate them even further.

"The Coalition should show some leadership and reject this bill," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Private schools should be accountable for public funding

jfield — 2010-08-26T05:01:50Z

Read John's comments in the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Private schools stay quiet on cash bonanza', SMH page 1, 23 August.

Dr Kaye said: "It should not have to be up to journalists pouring through the financial returns to the corporate regulator to expose the wealthiest private schools surpluses and the way public funds contribute to their very healthy balance sheets.

"With $432 million of federal funding each year for the 161 most exclusive institutions, they should be fully accountable in how they spend their money.

"Instead they hide behind highly opaque annual school reports that reveal very little about the real state of their finances.

"No other institutions receiving this amount of public funding gets away with such a poor level of accountability.

"The public should be able to find at a click of a mouse button a full account of how their money is being spent.

"It is hardly surprising that the representatives of some of the wealthiest private schools are trying to stop their accounts being exposed to public view.

"Many of them are rolling in money yet receive generous tax payer-funded subsidies.

"The figures are a huge embarrassment to schools like Cranbrook and Ascham.

"They show that the public purse is being used to bolster very healthy bottom lines.

"The Gillard government gave the nation's 161 wealthiest private schools $432 million this year.

"Analysis of the financial returns proves just how inefficient and unfair those subsidies are," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

Keneally government fails overcrowded public schools

jfield — 2010-08-27T01:12:56Z

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "Public schools should not be the victims
of their own success.

“Students are forced to learn in inappropriate and crowded spaces like
internet cafes and former storage rooms.

"NSW Education Minister Verity Firth is sitting back and allowing the
attractiveness of these schools to diminish as more students are forced
to learn in unacceptable conditions.

"The Minister is relying on market forces to cap enrolment numbers at
these highly successful public schools rather than intervening to
protect the students and teachers from overcrowding.

"She is punishing students, staff and parents by shoehorning yet more
kids into spaces designed for a much smaller enrolment.

"The Keneally government has no vision for schools like Killara and
Arthur Phillip.

“These are the beacon comprehensive schools whose teachers are
delivering the quality parents want.

“Instead of drowning them in students, Verity Firth should be using
their success as a guide to the future of all public schools," Dr Kaye
said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

NSW Coalition fails to back action on heart disease

jfield — 2010-08-19T01:44:25Z

Read John's comments in the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Would you like a kilojoule count with that?', SMH page 5, 19 August.

Dr Kaye said: "National Party spokesperson Kevin Humphries has rejected legislation to stop quick serve restaurants fuelling the obesity epidemic.

"He apparently prefers the failed industry self-regulation model.

"While the Greens support consulting with the industry as part of the process of drafting regulations, slashing community consumption of unhealthy foods cannot be left to highly profitable fast food giants to control.

"Instead of pandering to their friends in the industry, the Coalition should get on board with legislation to cut the human and economic cost of cardio-vascular disease, obesity and the other high morbidity consequences of diets overloaded with salt, saturated fat and sugar.

"Mr Humphries has signalled that a future O'Farrell government would provide even less protection for the people of NSW than the decade and a half of inaction under Labor.

"At least Premier Keneally has now made the first steps with her Fast Food Forum.

"With the Coalition rolling over to the fast food industry, it is essential that the Labor government introduce legislation for limits on salt, fat and sugar content and point-of-sale labelling before the end of their term in office.

"The Greens and Labor have a majority in the Upper House and legislation could easily pass both houses of parliament.

"It would then be difficult for a future Coalition government to backslide once the regulations were in place.

"Waiting until next year will hand control of this issue to the industry with little hope of real action," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

NSW govt lacks vision for a zero carbon future

jfield — 2010-08-13T04:40:27Z

Read John's comments in the Sydney Morning Herald: 'How to be fully renewable in 10 years', SMH 13 August.

Dr Kaye said: "The collaboration between Melbourne University's Energy Research Institute, Beyond Zero Emissions and Sinclair Knight Merz has produced at least one blueprint for how NSW and the rest of Australia could cut the 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions that come from the electricity industry.

"The Keneally government cannot continue to argue that new fossil-fuelled baseload power stations are needed to keep the lights on in NSW.

"Nor can they continue to defend the future of the seven existing coal-fired power stations.

"The report outlines a future that is zero emissions and much higher employment.

"It shames the NSW government for its lack of imagination and its commitment to outdated and polluting technology.

"The Keneally government and the NSW Opposition are increasingly isolated in their unquestioning support for the coal industry.

"They have ignored the possibilities of renewable sources like wind and solar thermal replacing coal power, relegating them to boutique status.

"This report shows that the clean energy technologies have the grunt to keep the economy moving.

"I will be writing to Premier Kristina Keneally, Treasurer Eric Roozendaal and their Opposition counterparts Barry O'Farrell and Mike Baird suggesting they read the report and asking for their response to it,” Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455

NSW govt pushes ahead with new coal power without climate study

jfield — 2010-08-10T01:15:30Z

Read John's comments in the Sydney Morning Herald: 'Plans yet to come on new power plant emissions', Sydney Morning Herald, 10 August page 2.

Dr Kaye said: "The NSW government is yet to even commence work on studies on how to handle the 22 million tonnes of CO2 a year from two new coal fired power stations that have been approved for Lithgow and the Upper Hunter.

"Energy policy in NSW is still being driven by the mindless push to privatise the electricity industry and build new plant whether they are needed or not.

"Despite Treasurer Eric Roozendaal is peddling the myth that new baseload power plants are needed to keep the lights on, the Deputy Director of the Climate Change Department, Simon Smith, said yesterday that the new generators would replace older plant and bring down emissions.

"Both statements cannot be true. If the new generators are needed to maintain a reliable supply, then shutting down older plant would cause blackouts.

"In fact, neither statement is correct and both have been made without any studies of the climate impacts.

"New baseload capacity is not needed and if they are built they will massively increase the state's emissions.

"If these plant are built, the state's emissions will climb by more than 17 percent and energy efficiency programs will be devastated.

"If the Premier were serious about achieving ambitious greenhouse gas targets, she would dump Treasurer Roozendaal's electricity privatisation scheme and the new fossil-fuel power stations it is designed to produce," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455